Combined buckle and snap-hook



UNITED STATES PATENT i FFICEQ FREDERICK KIEKENAPP, OF FARIBAU LT, MINNESOTA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,686, dated March 28, 1882.

Application filed January 27, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, FREDERICK KIEKE NAPP, of Faribault, in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Buckle and Snap-Hook; and I do hereby declare the fol lowingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis speciro fication, in which-- Figure lis a side elevation of the device connected to a strap. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same disconnected from the strap. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the device when connected to the strap, as shownin Fig. 1. I

Similar letters of reference in the sever-a1 figures indicate the same parts.

This invention relates to that class of combined buckles and snap-hooks in which the stress on the strap connected to the buckle is adapted to keep the movablejaw of the snaphook closed; and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the movablejaw of the snap-hook is kept closed, whether the strap connected to the buckle remains slack or taut, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, A represents a metal frame 0 having a stout curved hook, a, forming the stationary jaw of a snap-hook, and two side bars, Z) I), and end bar, b, and a raised crossbar, 12 forming a buckle-frame.

0 represents the movable jaw of the snap- 5- hook, the same being hung on a pivot, c, and

cooperating with the curved stationary jaw a, i as shown. This jaw 0 extends down beyond its pivot, and then curves upward and terminates in a cross-bar, G, that is adapted to play up and down between the bars I) and b of the buckle-frame, and to rest upon the side bars, I) b, of said frame, as shown in Fig. 1. To the middle of the crossbar O is articulated the movable buckle-tongue D.

In attaching the device to a strap the end of the strapis passed up between the bar and the cross-bar U, and the tongue D is inserted in one of the holes of the strap, after which (No model.)

the end of the strap is passed under the raised crossbar b as shown in Figs.1 and 3. When in this position the strap presses the cross-bar 0 down upon the side bars, I) b, thus holding the movable jaw O tightly closed against the fixed jaw of the snap-hook. On the movable jaw 0 being now pressed down to permit of the entrance of a ring or other article desired to be secured to the snap-hook the crossbar C will be forced up against the portion of the strap lying between the cross-bars b and b but when the movable jaw O is released the elasticity of the strap will again depress the cross-bar C and cause the jaw G to be automatically closed.

The greater the strain or pull exerted on the strap the tighterof course 'thejaw C will be closed; but if from any cause the strap is shoved toward the buckle the hinged tongue of the buckle will swing up, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, while the cross-bar G will still remain pressed down upon the side bars, I) b, and the movable jawof the snaphook will be kept closed. It will be seen, therefore that so long as the end of the strap remains under the cross-bar b of the buckleframe the movable jaw of the snap-hook will be kept tightly closed, whether the strap be pushed toward or pulled away from the buckle, thus insuring great safety.

To disconnect the strap from the buckle it is only necessary to withdraw its end from un der the cross-bar b when the tongue can be readily removed from the hole.

I claim as my invention- The combined buckle and snap-hook consisting of the metal frame having the curved hook, the side bars, the end bar, I), the raised cross-bar b and the pivoted jaw 0 extended beyond its pivot, and having the cross-bar C carrying the movable tongue D, the whole adapted to co-operate with a strap in the man- 0 nor set forth.

FREDERICK KIEKENAPP.

Witnesses:

J on MULLIN, G. L. LOWELL. 

